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  • ‘Milk,’ ‘Happy’ win big with NYFCC

    Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-LuckyThe Best Picture victory for “Milk” is going to be the lede for most people as far as today’s New York Film Critics Circle awards is concerned, but the bigger story is “Happy-Go-Lucky,” which finds itself right back in the thick of the Oscar conversation.

    The group handed Mike Leigh and Sally Hawkins honors for Best Director and Best Actress respectively for the film.  This marks the second award in as many days for both.  Leigh won the screenplay award yesterday with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and Hawkins was also singled out for her performance.

    But back to “Milk,” I was a little surprised to see the film do so well here, also taking honors for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Supporting Actor (Josh Brolin).  It’s a slightly more populist opinion from a crowd that likes to be fringe, though Jenny Lumet’s screenplay win for “Rachel Getting Married” was anything but a shock.

    Penelope Cruz continued her expected steamroll through the Oscar season with yet another supporting actress win (she won with LAFCA as well), while “WALL-E” surprised no one with a victory as Best Animated Film.  Meanwhile, Anthony Dod Mantle, who came in as a runner-up with the L.A. critics for his work behind the camera on “Slumdog Millionaire,” happened to walk away with the honor today.

    “Man on Wire” took honors for Best Documentary, while “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” won for Best Foreign Film.

    It was yet another day of snubs for “Revolutionary Road,” which turned up with zero nominations from the BFCA and no mentions from the L.A. critics.  And a film that has suddenly become a real threat as the first major precursors have begun to arrive, “The Dark Knight,” hit an expected roadblock with the Gotham crew, finding no love in any category.  Slightly more surprising, however, is the lack of recognition for Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler.”  But I have a hunch it was in the hunt throughout, maybe just coming up short in this category or that.

    (Full list of winners after the jump.)

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  • Waiting on the Gotham crowd

    NYFCCAlright, so last year, the NYFCC announcement came down close to 10:00 a.m. PST, so I expect in the next few hours we’ll have some answers.  You can check on the group’s official site to watch the winners clock in as announced (unless something changes this year), but for now, I’ll wager a couple of guesses.

    The way the New York critics vote, with various in-fighting and films left standing eventually crowned victor (which leads to weird Best Picture choices like “United 93” and “Out of Sight”), this group can be an erratic one to predict.  I’m not sensing a “Slumdog” victory or major love for “Milk,” but I think this is the place where, say, “Rachel Getting Married” or even “The Visitor” can claim a piece of the critics awards pie.

    That said, I’m going to guess way out on the fringe and say “The Wrestler,” with a win for Mickey Rourke to accompany it.  Maybe Aronofsky can even slide in for Best Director, or perhaps that’s where Jonathan Demme will get his precursor due.  For actress, I anticipate Anne Hathaway, but a win for Melissa Leo or Kristin Scott Thomas wouldn’t surprise me either.

    Anyway, take a crack at it and give us your NYFCC predictions below.

  • Getting carried away with ‘WALL-E’ and the LAFCA

    BrazilI have been griping about the state of the movie year since after the Toronto International Film Festival, and frankly I took some heat for bitching about it. So yes, I feel some vindication about the way the season is shaping up: 2008 is a hugely disappointing year at the movies, with only a handful of really brilliant films. After the bounty of last year, obviously our hopes were high, which is a mistake, but it seems we have endured one failure after another this year.

    So the Los Angeles Film Critics Association voted “WALL-E” best film of the year.  Does this increase the film’s Oscar chances for a Best Picture nod? It will certainly draw some more attention but at the end of the day the film will land in the feature animation category, which is where it belongs.

    I agree with Kris that “WALL-E” is over-appreciated and hugely overrated. Yes, it was a good film, a beautiful picture that was a stunning visual experience, but it’s not the masterpiece it is being hailed as. In my opinion it is indicative of the weak movie year we are suffering through.  I have three more films to see to wrap up my 2008 coverage, and at this writing, “The Dark Knight” is my choice as best film of the year, with Nolan my best director.  So I have to say it was cool to see both slide in as runner-ups.

    But let’s be realistic about the L.A. Film Critics.  They like to make a statement. They did it in 1985 with “Brazil,” an unreleased film from Terry Gilliam that somehow won their Best Picture prize and forced Universal to finally put it in theaters.

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  • 12/10 Oscarweb Round-up

    Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona• The Gurus settle on a predicted five that seems to be becoming “the knowledge.” [Movie City News]

    • David Poland, meanwhile, takes the opportunity to spotlight 10 under-the-radar contenders. [Movie City News]

    • Always eager for a “look, we said something about it first” story, Steve Weintraub calls an exclusive (seriously, we need to define this term already) on a story Eric Roth has been talking about here and there for a while now…his desire to pen a space film, among other scripts the writer is working on, all reported elsewhere long ago.  Can’t wait to read about the bitching once Variety breaks the ACTUAL story when (and if) it comes to pass.  (Sorry, got carried away there.) [Collider]

    • Getting back on track, Tom O’Neill chats it up with Penelope Cruz. [Gold Derby]

    • Erica Abeel sits down with “Reader” director Stephen Daldry. [indieWIRE]

    • Having already released, “Australia” still isn’t finished?  Wait…what? [The Independent]

    • Do the European Film Awards matter? [The Guardian]

    • Anita Chabria catches up with the female cinematographers story. [The Envelope]

    • Patrick Goldstein reports on the inner strife of yesterday’s LAFCA vote.  Apparently “Slumdog Millionaire” was “a close third in the best picture race.” [The Big Picture]

    • The most vanilla Oscar preview yet. [Associated Press]

    • 12 rules of Christmas movies. [New York Daily News]

    • Anthony Breznican profiles Ron Howard’s career behind the camera. [USA Today]

    • Anne Thompson reports from the Monday night premiere of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” with some video to boot. [Thompson on Hollywood]

  • New ‘Terminator Salvation’ trailer kicks…well, you know

  • Zimmer speaks out on the ‘Dark Knight’ score controversy

    Hans ZimmerThe diligence Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein has been doing on this back-and-forth on the eligibility of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s score for “The Dark Knight” is, I think, exceptional.  Goldstein got Zimmer on the phone last night to discuss how the reversal of the decision came to pass.

    It seems Zimmer went, in person, to the music branch’s executive committee meeting Friday night to plead his case:

    “My basic argument was–composers are honest human beings…If we’re telling you that we, and we alone, wrote the score, why don’t you believe us? We were very candid. We said, ‘Why would we lie? And if you don’t believe us, go ask Chris Nolan, the film’s director. He saw who did the work.’”

    That’s fair enough and I’m glad he got everything across to the branch that needed to be, but even with that in mind, I think the rules should extend to whatever number of composers are necessary.  Why put a limit on it?  That’s irritated me on many fronts for years.  The three producer thing for Best Picture nominees in particular.  But Zimmer had some stinging things to say about all of that as well:

    I think the value of the Oscars is being erased by the narrowness and nitpicking of all the academy rules and regulations. The executive committee shouldn’t be excluding people’s work because of technicalities. Especially today, with all the new work methods and new technology, the academy needs to change–they have to keep pace if they want to stay relevant.

    Amen.

  • LAFCA gives Best Picture to ‘WALL-E’

    WALL-EShocking.  “WALL-E” is officially the most overrated film of the year, but that having been said, this is one hell of a ballsy move on the part of the L.A. film critics (whose vote came down a lot earlier than I expected).

    I correctly anticipated a Sally Hawkins victory in the lead actress category, which will do wonders for her Oscar hopes.  The group also went with Mike Leigh for his “screenplay.”  It makes sense as “Happy-Go-Lucky” was a film dwindling on the Oscar landscape and this group, no matter how much a couple of blowhards within their ranks claim otherwise, like to shine their light in the direction of films they want to find the right traction this time of year.  Eddie Marsan also came in as a runner-up for Best Supporting Actor.

    I’m very excited to see Steve McQueen grab the group’s New Generation award.  I’m happy to see some outlets already calling “Hunger” the best of the year.  When I saw the film at this year’s AFI Fest, I knew I was in the hands of a new talent.  I’m glad the LAFCA agrees.

    I also have to tip my hate to the group for recognizing Mark Friedman’s brilliant design work in “Synecdoche, New York,” my personal choice for the year’s best in the category.  And I’m glad to see that lenser Anthony Dod Mantle was so close to a win for his wonderfully inventive work in “Slumdog Millionaire.”

    But back to “WALL-E.”  I just cannot understand the love-fest for this film, a position I’m sure plenty of movie-goers find themselves in regarding “The Dark Knight” (which came in as a runner-up for Best Picture, beating out contenders like “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).  But regardless of my taste, it’s worth pointing out that the only three films to win the LAFCA award for best Picture and fail to secure an Oscar nomination for same were “Leaving Las Vegas” in 1995, “About Schmidt” in 2002 and “American Splendor” in 2003.  You have to go all back to “Do the Right Thing” in 1989 for the last example and it’s only happened a total of six times in 32 years.

    Crazy.

    The winners (via Variety) after the jump.

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  • THE LISTS: Top 10 ‘right actor, wrong film’ Oscars

    As we head into the thick of awards season, one of the biggest “will-they-won’t-they” questions about this year’s Academy Awards concerns one of their most favored sons, Clint Eastwood. Specifically: despite wildly polarized responses to the film, and a widespread perception that he has already been amply rewarded in other categories, can Eastwood ride the wave of sentiment to a first acting victory for “Gran Torino?”

    That sneaky National Board of Review award last week suggests it’s still very much a possibility, whether or not people believe that it’s a performance for the ages — and, more to the point, whether or not it ranks with the best of Eastwood’s own onscreen work.

    It’s no secret that, in the acting races, the Academy frequently bases their vote less on the performance at hand than the actor delivering it — one can point to any number of Oscar victories determined less by merit than by personal affection for an already rewarded star (let’s say Michael Caine in “The Cider House Rules”) or industry guilt over an under-rewarded one (most recently, Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine”).

    Meanwhile, recent victories by the likes of Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett point to the familiar “deferred-Oscar” syndrome, where an actor widely believed to have been snubbed in the recent past is hastily handed a statuette as a kind of cumulative acknowledgment of their recent strong work, frequently for a performance that doesn’t represent any particular breakthrough. (Kate Winslet might be vying for one of those this year.)

    All are variations of the oft-lamented “right actor, wrong film” Oscars that are peppered throughout Academy history — a solution generally deemed more credible (though I’m not sure why) than the honorary “quick, before they die” lifetime achievement gongs doled out to the likes of Peter O’Toole and Kirk Douglas, actors who continually slip through the cracks in Oscar voting.

    Age isn’t always the determining factor, though.  The Academy has shown in recent years by passing over Lauren Bacall and Ruby Dee — both of whom would have been exemplary “right actor, wrong film” honorees — they’re not always in a sentimental mood.  As the following list shows, reasons for rewarding actors for lesser work are many and varied: genre bias on the Academy’s part, mainstream emergence on the actor’s, or simply the voters’ collective nostalgia for a familiar face at the podium.

    The one thing all these names have in common is that they’re distinguished, even great actors who deserve to have “Academy Award winner” forever attached to their monikers — just not necessarily for that performance. Will Clint Eastwood be the latest name to join their ranks? The jury is out.

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  • Honored

    The Dark KnightEvery year I contribute to the Eye on the Oscars features issues at Variety, something I started long before my short-lived blogging stint at the trade last year.  We always come up with a list of contenders for each category to profile as the season pushes forward and sometimes the nature of longer leads makes some picks a bit out-of-date come publication time (i.e., James Cromwell on this year’s supporting actor list).

    One actor that was always going to be there was Heath Ledger, whose brilliant turn in “The Dark Knight” has become the stuff of legend.  I put a bug in my editor’s ear early on that, if it was in the cards, I really wanted the chance to tackle Ledger’s profile.  I generally do abot three or four of them every year, but I’ve never wanted an assignment, of any sort, as much as I wanted this one.

    Happily, I got it.  Heath is obviously no longer with us, so cranking out a profile with the right perspective was always going to be difficult.  But taking some insightful words from Aaron Eckhart and a nicely enlightening chat with producer Chuck Roven, I came up with something I’m proud of and that I hope does the actor some level of justice.

    Here’s a taste:

    “He was always part of a very short list of guys we had talked about, but so many things were wonderful surprises,” Roven says. “When we heard his voice, when we see his tongue flick, when he does that thing with his hair when he sees Rachel. The thing about this performance is it really pulls you in. You know this character is deeply disturbed, but you want to spend time with him.”

    Regarding that flick of the actor’s tongue, like some wicked clown serpent, Roven says Ledger researched what it would be like if someone had his mouth cut like the Joker’s horrific scarring suggests. In some cases, Ledger told Roven, a person might run the tongue along the wound. So the actor built that defining physical attribute into the character.

    Ledger was never able to see his finished performance, though Christopher Nolan did show him the film’s introductory scene, featuring a Joker-masterminded bank heist. For Roven, the portrayal lives on in the film’s popular and critical reception and, indeed, the awards chatter the late actor’s work has ignited throughout the year.

    Check out the rest here.

  • Here’s why the BFCA snubbed ‘Revolutionary Road’

    I didn’t think about this at the time this morning, because of course, I do the diligence of going to the screenings.  But DVDs of “Revolutionary Road” and “Defiance” did not arrive on our doorsteps until late last week, in some cases, as late as Friday.  Even though the voting deadline was Sunday, I’m sure most of the members across the country had already voted without seeing the film.  It’s the only reason I can think of that the film would be ignored across the board.  I mean, at the very least Michael Shannon would have shown up.  His performance has been cherished by critics in many quarters.  So keep it in mind, these snubs only mean that a large portion of the group didn’t see the film.

  • Onward…LAFCA coming up

    LAFCAAlright, the BFCA announcement has come and gone.  Little surprise other than some omissions.  So maybe the Los Angeles critics will feel the need to get behind a few ponies, as they do annually (Vera Farmiga in “Down to the Bone,” handing “There Will Be Blood” their Best Picture prize last year when Oscar buzz was dwindling, etc.)

    I’m actually expecting a “Slumdog” victory with maybe some surprises in Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress.  I have a hunch Christopher Nolan will nab the Best Director prize, giving him, and the film, some much-needed Oscar legitimacy.  And, as David Poland rightly noted last week, that “Dark Knight” soiree was indeed packed with LAFCA members.

    Sasha Stone over at Awards Daily corraled the predictions of a few of us prognosticative bozos.  She also gives a space for you to throw some things at the wall to see what sticks.  But for now, it’s all a waiting game.  Last year the announcement didn’t land until around 7:00 p.m. PST, so it’ll be a while.  But have at it in the comments section below if you want to guess at the winners.

  • FYC brilliance

    Robert Downey Jr. For Your Consideration ad

  • Getting around to the BFCAs

    Kate Beckinsale in Nothing But the TruthA late night premiere and after party kept me in bed most of the morning.  It happens.  So I’m just now coming around to today’s BFCA announcement.  First, some reactions (full disclosure, I am a member of the organization).

    First and foremost, the group subtracted one category (Best Family Film) and added another (Best Action Film).  I think we all know where the latter is headed.  Speaking of which, “The Dark Knight” actually had a hell of a showing, popping up in the expected areas but also grabbing a nomination for director Christopher Nolan and composers James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer (who find themselves back in the Oscar hunt as of yesterday).

    The group also combined the Best Young Actor and Best Young Actress categories to reflect both sexes in the same arena.  A good call, since I’m sure I’m not the only one who has felt like I was grasping at straws to list six names some years.

    The startling omission: “Revolutionary Road.”  I’m sure there are more than a few broken hearts at Paramount Vantage this morning, but chin up.  “Into the Wild” landed the most nominations with the BFCA last year and only managed two Oscar nominations.  So it all goes to show you these things aren’t set in stone.  That having been said, the BFCA is simply the best Oscar predictor around and I’m thinking it will prove itself a nice tip sheet going into January 22.

    A few quasi-surprises were in store.  I’m sure not too many people were expecting Kate Beckinsale and Vera Farmiga’s names to pop up for Rod Lurie’s “Nothing But the Truth.”  Lurie, it should be said, is a founding member of the BFCA, though in fairness, that was 15 years ago and he was in the group for two years.  He has friends in the organization, sure, but they represent a fraction of the 200-strong membership.  Regardless, I truthfully think both actresses deserve a spot at the table so it’s nice they could push their way through.

    But getting back to “Revolutionary Road,” this is an out-and-out shut-out, and that really hurts the film’s buzz potential.  It’s one thing to miss this category or that, but nothing for Leo (with six shots at it), nothing for Kate (ditto), not even a nod for Michael Shannon, who damn well deserves a mention.  I’m truthfully surprised.  I think our Best Picture line-up will be taken from the top 10 list, and like I said, it can’t be happy times for that hard-working crew.  Scott Rudin is still sitting pretty, though, as his “Doubt” popped up in a number of areas.  But “Button,” “Dark Knight,” “Frost,” “Milk,” “Slumdog” — you might as well take it to the bank.

    Oh, and one final note.  I’m actually quite happy to see Clint Eastwood’s name pop up in the composer category for “Changeling.”  I think the jazzy soundtrack is his best work as a film musician to date and, if the Academy’s music branch ever saw past their bias, would make a fine Oscar nominee.  Nice to see him show up here.

    The top 10 list, with a full list of nominations after the jump:

    Best Picture
    “Changeling”
    “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    “The Dark Knight”
    “Doubt”
    “Frost/Nixon”
    “Milk”
    “The Reader”
    “Slumdog Millionaire”
    “WALL-E”
    “The Wrestler”

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  • Yes, it’s true — Zimmer and Howard are back in the mix

    Patrick Goldstein’s sources are apparently right on.  I was told by a representative party at tonight’s premiere of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” that, indeed, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer’s wonderful score for “The Dark Knight” is officially back in the running for an Oscar.  I was actually told this was coming two days ago, but had nothing to go on beyond one inside source, so I didn’t want to go there yet.  Oh well.  Here’s hoping it can translate to a nomination, but that pesky two-composer thing might still stick in the branch’s craw.

    It was an interesting place to hear the news, considering the only score that tops Howard and Zimmer is Alexandre Desplat’s sublime work on “Button,” the likely (and deserving) Oscar victor.

  • The amount of ‘Dark Knight’ DVD exclusives is officially out of control

    Seriously.

  • All in the family

    Further proof that critics in their 60s/70s, etc. have no objectivity when it comes to Clint Eastwood. They see their fathers, they see themselves, and they see one of their heroes… but they don’t necessarily see the actual movies.

    Hollywood Elsewhere commenter JB’s response to Jeff Wells’s over-the-moon (top?) reaction to Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino.”  I’m not saying anything, just putting JB’s sentiment out there for everyone to see.  No commentary.  Zilch.

  • Reel Geezers on ‘Milk’

  • OFF THE CARPET: Finding a happy place

    Mickey Rourke in The WrestlerI’m reaching that sweet spot of the Oscar season.  That moment right on the cusp of major precursor announcements when critics and audiences begin to join a conversation that’s been talked in circles by us pundits for a few months.  The vacuum is slipping away and the clarity of perspective shines through.

    Yeah, I can admit it.  When it’s one or two guys out in front of Oscar contenders, bandying about their potential, it’s really just hot air until we come to this point of the year.  I gave up the idea of “formula” long ago, even if there are a precious few who still cling to that “analyst” role as something of substance.  It’s not, really, and we’re reminded of that each and every December.

    That having been said, I certainly couldn’t sit here and tell you the announcements of the National Board of Review, the scattered critical kudos and a few top 10 lists have drastically altered the game.  And when the Los Angeles and New York critics chime in later this week, I don’t anticipate much in the way of a revelation then either.  It’s just the way this year has turned out, leaving me wondering what more I can say in this space as we wind the year down.  So I thought I’d turn to the words of those of us who’ve been in the game longer than the rest, before the Oscar season became such an industry and when many of us had less of a clue than we do now, but paradoxically, had the perspective of removed innocence to show the way.

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